After taking their GCSE exams, although the long summer ahead is all anyone can think about, the impending exam results are also on the minds of many Year 11 students. Students usually go to their schools to collect exam results. However, there may be some cases where a pupil is unable to do so in person. They may wonder if they can receive their results in any other way. So, can you get your GCSE results online? Is there any other way to receive results?
Unfortunately, students cannot receive their GCSE results online due to data protection and other privacy laws. Although this is the case for online results, there are many other ways in which students can receive their exam results.
Continue reading to find out the other ways in which you can receive your exam results. We will also aim to answer any further questions you may have about exam results.
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How can you receive your GCSE results?
GCSE results can be given out in many different ways, other than the most common which is collecting them in person. However, schools will only do this for certain extenuating circumstances. Some examples are shown below:
- The student has sustained an injury that makes them unable to collect their results
- A student is abroad
- If a student cannot be transported to school to collect their results
This is not a comprehensive list and only lists a number of situations where a student would be unable to receive their results in person. GCSE results can be given to students via email, post, and family members can even collect them on behalf of students. These processes and more will be detailed below, as well as other questions that you may have after receiving your results. For a more detail, check out this Think Student article.
Can family members or friends collect your GCSE results for you?
While GCSE results cannot be given to students online, a family member/friend can go to the school or establishment where they took their GCSEs and collect them on their behalf.
This is at the discretion of the school or establishment. If it is approved, the family member/friend would need both some form of ID and a note or letter from the student giving consent to collect the results on their behalf. This is to ensure that the results go to the right person. For more information about this, check out this article by Good to Know.
Can GCSE results be emailed or posted to you?
GCSE results can also be either emailed or posted to students if a suitable reason is given. If the results are emailed, a student will likely get the results at the same time as their peers. However, if they’re sent through the post, it’s unlikely that the results will arrive on time and may be late. This time delay is just something to keep in mind when thinking about how you’d like to receive your results if you’re unable to in person. For more information, look at this article by Future Finance.
What happens if you don’t collect your GCSE results?
If a student doesn’t arrive at school during the given time to collect their exam results, an envelope containing their results will then be posted to their house. If this isn’t possible and the student will be attending a connected sixth form, the exam results will be given to them at the beginning of the following September. For more information, check out this Think Student article.
Can your GCSE certificate be sent to you?
The official GCSE exam certificates are usually sent to schools about 3 months after results are given to students to show final, confirmed results. They are then promptly delivered to students via post. Schools are required to keep exam certificates (whether claimed or unclaimed) for at least 12 months before being either sent back to the exam board or destroyed confidentially. Check out this link to find out more about how long GCSE results are stored in school systems.
What if you didn’t achieve the GCSE results that you wanted?
If the wanted results weren’t received, they can be disputed if a student believes that they deserve a higher grade. This can be done by contacting your school, who will then request that the exam board review your grade independently. If you receive a higher mark, your grade may change, but if you lose marks in the re-mark, this may negatively affect your overall grade as well. Do note that you may have to pay a fee if your grade is not changed after this process. For more information, check out this governmental guide.
Can you retake your GCSEs?
Students must retake their Maths and English GCSEs if a pass grade isn’t achieved, but otherwise, retaking other options are completely optional. It is likely however, that you will have to pay a fee of around £35 to retake your GCSEs. This is because, initially, your school pays for you to take the exams, but any retakes after that will have to be paid for by the student. GCSEs, however, are not only for secondary school pupils. Take a look at this article for more info about who GCSEs can be taken by. For more information about the cost of a GCSE resit, look here.
I hope that you now understand the different ways in which you can receive your GCSE results and any other questions have been answered. As always it is important that you check with your school to see which of the options above are available to you.
Thank you for reading this article and if you would like to learn more about GCSEs, some relevant articles on this are linked below:
Yes, you are right! it’s quite difficult or nearly impossible to collect GCSE results online.
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